INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE OF SWITCHGEAR

Introduction-Maintenance of Circuit Breaker-Contacts-Arc Control - Are Control Devices-Insulators- Operating Mechanism - Relays Insulation - Oil - Safety - Installation- Erection - Drawout Type Switchgear - Control panels.

Introduction The correct operation of switchger is necessary for protection of the system. The failure of switchgear in the event of a fault is likely to result in a disaster. The switchgear and relaying system should be alert during the year, moment to moment, though it might not be called upon to operate due to the absence of fault. Now, a serious, unexpected fault may occur any time and the switchgear which was in quiscent state has to operate immediately. For such an operation, regular and detailed maintenance is necessary. The lack of maintenance may result in failure in operation. With rotating machines the fault or stoppage is noticeable, not so with the switchgear. Hence regular inspection is a must. The switchgear manufacturer generally supplies Instruction Manual of Installation, Operation and Maintenance. These manuals should becarefully studied by maintenance staff. Certain training is necessary for the maintenance men. In addition, the code of practice booklets published by the standards institutiolls, regulations of electrical installations etc., should be strictly followed. Detailed programme of maintenance of switchgears should be prepared with pre-determined intervals between inspections. The period may, be one to three months for switchgear operating frequency and six months to twelve months of switchgear operating rarely. After .operation of the circuit breaker on abnormal condition, inspection should be carried out as early as possible. Further, it is unwise to leave the circuit breaker dosed for a period longer than six months without opening, because the mechanisms may become sluggish and contacts may need cleaning. Hence during the periodic maintenance, the circuit breaker is purposely opened and closed. The maintenance schedule is usually in the form of log sheets on which weeks, months of the year are tabulated. Each equipment in the sub-station or the plant is provided with a column. The maintenance period is indicated against each equipment. Further each major equipment is provided with a history card. The details about inspection, operation and remarks are written on these cards. The 'spares' are important for maintenance duty. Record of spares required for each equipment, and the plant is kept ready. The spares are kept in stock with proper inventory control. The maintenance work is done accordiug to the schedule. In case of difficult jobs, the manufacturer is consulted. The manufacturer provides trained personnel on request and necessary payment. II. Maintenance of Circuit-Breakers (The discussion pertains to oil circuit breakers, but some features are common with the other types. The description only gives a general guidance, not for specialists). 1. Period of Inspection (a) Under Normal Conditions. (1)Once in 6 months or 12 months for c. b. operating in-frequently.
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(2) Once in 1 month or 3 months for c.b. operating repeatedly or according to the mam4. facturers recommendations. (b) On clearing a fault. As soon as the circuit breaker can be isolated from the service. (c) Overhaul. Once in three years or as recommended by the manufacturer. (d) Replacement. When the life period expires. This is a matter of economics and, technical considerations. 2. During the periodic check-up the following checks should be made : (a) Check the level and condition of oil. (b) Clean the insulators with fine fabric cloth that will not leave fibres. Do not use cotton waste in any case. For removing oil, grease. carbon deposite use Trichloroethylene or other chemical recommended by the manufacturer. (c) Check contacts. (d) Check Optrating mechanism. (e) Check indicating devices. (f) Check auxiliary switches. (G) Tighten nuts, bolts etc. (h) Test insulation resistance by means of high voltage (1000V.D.C.) meggar in case of high voltage circuits and by 500 V meggar in 220 V control circuits. (i) Carry out tests according to the specifications. (j) Take the steps as mentioned in the subsequent paragraphs. 3. When the breakers operates on fault, the internal and external inspection should be carried out as soon as the operating schedule permits. (a) Examine the Oil. /If badly deteriorated change it. (b) Check Arcing Contacts. Clean with smooth file. If badly demaged, replace them. (c) Inspect the insulation, carefully check the surface. (d) Check the arc control device. If damaged, replace the plates. (e) Check the tripping circuit and operating mechanism. (f) Be sure that no tools are left in the tank. Some further details are given below. Contacts : Contact pressure is important. In medium voltage circuit breaker it is about 5 kg. The pressure is tested as follows. A feeler gauge of 0002 inch is inserted between the contacts. This is pulled by a spring balance, until the feeler is freed. The pressure indicated on the baladce is recordea, This method is, how ever, not very reliable. Springs should be adjusted or replaced if contact pressure is insufficient. Another way is to measure contact resistance. The contact resistance is of the order of 20 micro-ohms for 1200 A normal current rating. The resistance between the ends of the pole gives the measure of the contact resistance. If contacts are badly burned, they should be replaced. If lightly burned, pitted or metal globules are present or the surface is slightly uneven, they are cleaned by fine glass paper or fine file. Original contour should be preserved. While cleaning the contacts, minimum material should be removed. On any account the contacts of the circuit breaker should not be oiled or greased. Arc Control Devices : Slight blackening is not harmful. The condition of plates is important. If
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badly burned or deformed, the entire arc control device may need replacement. But normally only the plates which have burned need replacement. All vents and openings should be cleaned. Insulators Porcelain insulators should be inspected for any sign of crack or defects. They should be cleaned with trichlore ethylene. Carry out tests recommended by the specifications. Opening Mechanisms Check opening and closing operations by manual signal and tripping by mean of relay. Clean all moving parts. Lubricate the sliding parts and surfaces. Avoid excessive lubrication. Check the tightness of nuts, bolts, pins, etc. Check the springs. Check thc terminal blocks and the wiring. Check the auxiliary switch. Relays It is advisable not to adjust the relay mechanism. The faulty relay should be sent to the manufacture since relay repair is a specialized job. Contacts of relays should be inspected for any sign of burning where necessary, glass paper should be used for cleaning. All the terminals of the relays should be checked, for tightness. The wiring should be checked for security. Insulating Oil A sample of insulating oil is taken from the bottom of the circuit breaker tank. Dark and brown, clouds indicate deterioration. Oil in good condition has pale yellowish uniform colour. It is tested by means of portable oil-testing set which consists of a autotransformer, voltmeter, tripping device etc. The voltage can be gradually increased. Oil in good condition should withstand 30 kV r.m.s. for one minute in a standard oil testing cup with 4 mm. gap between electrodes. The oil should be tested during the periodic check-up and whenever the circuit brea.ker clears a fault. Oil Maintenance. Oil maintenance is carried out in accordance with the standards titled Code, Practices of Maintenance of Insulatiog Oils. The code refers to the contamination of oil and determination of whether the oil is suitable for further service. It also gives the procedure of treatment of oil on sight. Contamination of oil due to moisture or solids can be dealt with satisfactorily on site. Centrifugal separators are effective in removing free water and fine solid impurities. Filters remove with solid impurities. The oil is heated to about 60C by means of electric heater. . The purification set consists of purifier, heater, de-airator, oil pumps, strainer and other accessories. The oil is circulated through the purifier till the desired dielectric strength is obtained. The following standards should be referred, I.S. : 3072 Installation and maintanance of switchgear. . I.S. : 355 Insulating oil for transformers and switchgear. C.P. 1008 (B.S) Maintenance code and practice for switchgear and oil C.P. 1009 (B.S.) Safety The maintenance work should be carried out with written permission of responsible people. A scheme should beadopted to issue permit card authorising the maintenance work to be done. Steps should be taken by the concerned authorities to ensure safety. These steps include:
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(1) Isolation of the part from live parts during the period of maintenance. No switching on by mistake. (2) Danger notices such as the one given below should be placed. Watch! Men at Work Dont Touch (3) The neighbouring points should be locked to avoid switch ing by a third person. (4) Earthing. The work equipment and conductors should be earthed by means of earthing connections, from both ends. (5) Power tools, safety devices should be provided to the electricians. (6) The electricians should be well trained. . (7) First-aid should be available. (8) Switching on should be allowed only after completion of work after cancellation of the permit by the authority. Death can be caused even on 400 V installations, because of negligence. III. Installation of Switchgear (1) Preliminary Preparations. The preliminary greparations include study of drawings, acceptance report checking certificates and test reports of the equipment, completion of civil engineering work, arranging the tools, lifting gears etc. organizing the labour, prepare the schedule of installation, preparing sequence cards for erection of major items etc. Such cards indicate the sequence of operation, items involved, procedure in brief etc. Sequence Card Cor Erection of Switchgear Equipment S. No. 1 2 3 The drawings include (1) Circuit diagrams of the plant. (2) Civil engineering plans, foundation plans etc. (3) Dimension drawings of equipment. (b) Location of switchgear. The switchgear may be (i) Indoor (ii) Outdoor Generally upto 11 kV, indoor switchgear is popular. Indoor switchgear should be located in a clean, dry room, free from vermins, snakes, moisture, dust etc. Floor should be dry and levelled. The floor should withstand load of about 1000 kg/ms (200 lb/sq. ft), Enough space should be left in front and in the rear of the switchgear as recommended by the manufacturer. (About) 1.7 metres in front and 0.7 mm the
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Operat ion

Tools, lifting gear etc.

Drg. No.

Technique and procedure

rear of 11 kV drawout switchgear). The following points are kept in mind, (1) Fire proof doors, roof, ceilings etc. (2) Sealing of cable ducts. (3) Sub-division of switchgear. (4) Installation of fire-fighting apparatus, (c) Unpacking. The equipment is packed in crates and is brought to site by railway and motortruck. The packings are lowered on the site by means of rope, hoist or crane carefully. Care is taken that they are always maintained in upright position throughout. On unpacking, the items are checked against the list. Further the items are carefully inspected visually. If any damage is found, the matter should be informed to the manufacturer and insurance company immediately, and the damaged equipment should be returned. (d) Foundation. The foundation is prepared according to the foundation plan. Holes are provided for foundation bolt. Trenches and passages are provided for cables and other piping. The floor should be correctly levelled and marked according to the drawing. (e) Erection. The equipment is installed according to the procedure mentioned in the instruction manual. Some types of lifting device, special tools etc. may be necessary. The assembly is erected vertically, The verticality is checked by means of spirit level. If necessary, packing pieces are added in the base plate for obtaining proper level. After doing necessary adjustments and checking the level, the concrete mixture is poured into holes around foundation bolts and the nuts are tightened, It should be remembered that porcelain insulator columns are weak in tension. During erection, they should not be shifted under assembled state. The assembly is carried out on site and the assembled units are not shifted. (f) Bus-bars. earthing connections. The bus-bar contacts and making surfaces of connectors should be cleaned with emergy paper or smooth file, The bus-bars are assembled as soon as they are cleaned. Special grease is applied. (g) Connections of main cable. The cable terminal box should be clean and moisture should be removed by blow lamps. The cable filling compound should be warmed to about 157 to 168C and aJIowed to cool to pouring temperature of about 135-140C. The buckets used for filling should be pre-heated to about 80C, before use. The compound is poured slowly down in the cable box to avoid splashing and inclusion of air bubbles, and should be topped periodically to ensure good bond between the body at the compound and the topping layer. The level of the compound should be about 45 mm below the top cover to allow expansion during service conditions. The cable cover is bolted when the compound gets cold. No moisture or dirt should enter while filling the compound. The P.V.C. hose is sleeved ort the cable conductor which is protected by varnish cambric tape. The terminal lug is soldered to the cable conductor. (h) Earthing. The earthing bar of the switchgear, the metallic non-current carrying parts are connected to station earthing system. 2. Erection of H.V. Air Blast Circuit Breaker The air receiver, switch cubicle, insulators and arc extinction chambers are usually
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despatched in separate packings. The floor is prepared for all the three poles of the c.b., pipe line of compressed .air and cables for control are taken through trenches. The power connections come from overhead conductors. The assembly is .carried out for each pole. The insulators are mounted on air receiver. The arc extinction. chambers are then fixed. .Finally connection are made between the arc extinction chambers. Compressed air supply is givvn. Tests are carried out on site. Here also the assembly and .commissioning is carried out by the trained staff. 3. Installation or Drawout Type Indoor Switchgear Such switchgear is commonly used for indoor installations upto 11 kV. Each unit consists of a circuit breaker (of 11 kV. 350 MV A) mounted on a truck. The stationary unit consists busbars, potential transformers, current transformers and other switchgar components. The unit has a cable box. The general scheme can be seen in Fig. 1. While opening the circuit breaker, the operator can trip the circuit breaker by manual signal, later the ,circuit breaker is lowered and the truck is drawn out. The following paragraphs give general idea about the maintenance and erection of draw out switchgear. (1) Prepare the floor and civil engineering work as described. (2) Cut the necessary holes in the floor according to the marking. (3) Align the fixed housings on the unit according to their position in the drawing. (4) Check the vertical position of units by plumb line. (5) Connect the bus-bars, and earthing bus of the neighbouring units. (6) Connect the earthing bar to the station earthing bus. (7) Make the secondary connections, as per the wiring diagram. (8) Check the C.T. and P.T. polarity. (9) Check the circuit breaker, fill it with oil upto correct level. (10) Tighten all the bolts. (11) Check the circuit breaker raising mechanism, by raising it and lowering it. (12) Check the movement of draweut unit. (13) Carry out tests according to tRe stand ard specifications. The Switchgear can now be commissiened.

Fig 1 : Draw-put type Switchgear

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4. Checking Polarity of CT's (Fig 2) Sometime oil circuit breakers are despatched with current transformers in position and connected upto the terminal board. According to B.S. 81 the polarities of CTs are marked as folIows. Primary T1 and T2 corresponding Secondary (T1) and (T2) The polarity can the tested by means of D.C. battery source. low resistance and sensitive moving coil d.c. voltmeter with centre zero. Connect positive lead of battery to the supply terminal ofbreaker T1 with resistance in series, touch breaker terminal T2 to the negative lead. The voltmeter is connected to the secondaries of CT, (T1) to positive terminal and (T2) to negative terminal. In such case the voltmeter will kick to the right if polarity is correctly marked.

Fig. 2 : Polarity test on CT

5. Method of checking contacts The moving contacts of each phase should meet the fixed contacts practically simultaneously. An electrical method of checking the contacts illustrated in Fig. 3. A low voltage supply, lamps are needed. simultaneously glowing of lamps indicates simultaneous making of contacts.

Fig. 3 : Method of checking simultaneous contact meeting during slow closing

6. Dynamic Characteristics The contact movement, contact separation, contact touch etc. are recorded by means of transducers and ultra-voilet recorders. -The records of trip coil signal aDd closing signal are also obtained on the same record.
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Summary : The installation and maintenance of switchgear is carried out according to well defied procedures by trained personnel. Regular and correct maintenance .is necessary for proper functioning of switchgear. IV. Testing of Circuit Breakers There are two types of tests of circuit breakers namely routine tests and type tests. Routine test are performed on every piece of circuit breaker in the premises of the manufacturer. The purpose of the routine tests is to confirm the proper functioning of a circuit breaker. Type tests are performed in a high voltage laboratory, such tests are performed on sample pieces of circuit breakers of each type to confirm their characteristics and rated capacities according to their design. These tests are not performed on every piece of circuit breaker. All routine and type tests are performed according to Indian Standard (IS) codes or International Electromechanical Commission (IEC) codes or British Standard (BS) codes. A few important type tests, such as breaking capacity, making capacity, short-time current rating tests will be discussed here. These tests come in the category of short circuit testing of circuit breakers. For circuit breakers of smaller capacity, these tests are carried out by direct testing techniques. Circuit breakers of large capacities are tested by the synthetic testing method. In addition to short circuit tests, mechanical tests, thermal tests, dielectric tests (power frequency tests, impulse tests), capacitive charging-current breaking test, small inductive breaking current test, etc. are also performed. For details see the relevant IS codes. 1 Short-circuit Testing Stations There are two types of short-circuit testing stations. (i) Field type testing station (ii) Laboratory type testing station In a field type testing station, the power required for testing is derived from a large power system. The circuit breaker to be tested is connected to the power system. Large amount of power is easily available for testing. Hence, this method of testing is economical for testing of circuit breakers, particularly high voltage circuit breakers. But it lacks flexibility. Its drawbacks are: (i) For research and development work, tests cannot be repeated again and again without disturbing the power System. (ii) The power available for testing varies, depending upon the loading conditions of the system. (iii) It is very diHicult to control the transient recovery voltage, RRRV, etc. In a laboratory type testing station, the power required for testing is taken from specially designed generators which are installet1 in the laboratory for such testing. Its advantages are: (i) For research and development work, tests can be carried out again and again to confirm .the designed characteristics and capacity. (ii) Current, voltage, restriking voltage, RRRV, etc. can be controlled conveniently. (iii) Tests for circuit breakers of large capacity can be carried out using synthetic testing. The drawbacks of laboratory type testing stations are: (i) High cost of installation. (ii) Availability of limited power for testing of circuit breakers.
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Short-circuit generator In a laboratory, short-circuit generators are used to provide power for testing. The design of such generators is different from a conventional generator. These are specially designed to have very low reactance to give the maximum short-circuit output. To withstand high eletromagnetic forces their windings are specially braced and made rugged. They are provided with a flywheel tq supply kinetic energy during short circuits. This also helps in speed regulation of the set. The generator is driven by a three-phase induction motor. The short-circuit current has a demagnetising effect on the field of generator. This results in reducing the field current. Consequently, the generators emf is reduced. Impulse excitation or super excitation is employed to counteract the damagnetisation effect of armature reaction. At the time of shortcircuit, the field current is increased to about 8 to 10 times its normal value. Short-circuit transformer Such a transformer has a low reactance and it is designed to withstand repeated shortcircuits. To get different voltages for tests, its windings are arranged in sections. By series and parallel combinations of these sections, the desired test voltage is obk1ined. To get lower voltage than the generated voltage, a three-phase transformer is generally used. For voltages higher than the generated voltages, nonnally banks of single phase transformers are employed. As the transforyner remain in the circuit for a short time, they do not pose any cooling problem. Master circuit breaker It is used as a backup circuit breaker. If the circuit bri.lker under test fails to operate, the master circuit breaker opens. The master circuit breaker is set to operate at a predetermined time after the initiation of the short-circuit. After every test, it isolates the circuit breaker under test from the supply source. Its capacity is more than the capaCity of the circuit breaker under test. Making switch This switch is used to apply short-circuit current at the desired moment during the test. The making switch is closed after closing the master circuit breaker and the test circuit breaker. It must be bounce-free to avoid its burning or contact welding. To achieve this, a high pressure is used in the chamber. Its speed is also kept high. Capacitors Capacitors are used to control RRRV. They are used in synthetic testing which will be discussed while describing such testing. Capacitors are also used for voltage measurement purpose. Reactors and resistors Resistors and reactors are used to control short-circuit test current. They also control power factor. The resistor controls the rat_ of decay of the d.c. compon_nt of the current. They control the transient recovery voltage. 2. Testing Procedure During the short-circuit test, several switching operations are performed in a sequence
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in a very short time. For example, the sequence of switching operations for breaking capacity test is as follows. (i) After running the driving motor of the short-circuit generator to a certain speed it is switched off. (ii) Impulse excitation is switched on. (iii) Master circuit breaker is closed. (iv) Oscillograph is switched on. (v) Making switch is closed. (vi) Circuit breaker under test is opened. (vii) Master circuit breaker is opened. (viii) Exciter circuit of the shqrt-circuit generator is switched off) It is not possible to perfonn this sequence of operations manually. There is an automatic control for the purpose. The time of operation for the above sequence is of the order of 0.2 second. 3. Direct Testing In direct testing, the circuit breaker is tested under the conditions which actually exist on power systems. It is subjected to restriking voltage which is expected in practical situations. Figure F1 shows an arrangement for direct testing. The reactor X is to control short-circuit current C, R1 and Rz are to adjust transient restriking voltage. Short-circuit tests to be performed are as follows.

FIGURE 4 : Direct testing of circuit breaker Test for breaking capaclty First of all, the master circuit breaker and the circuit breaker under test are closed. Then the sheri-circuit current is passed by closing the making switch. The short-circuit current is interrupted by opening the breaker under test at the desired moment. The following measurements are taken. (i) Symmetrical breaking current (ii) Asymmetrical breaking current (iii) Recovery voltage. (iv) Frequency of oscillation and RRRV The circuit breaker must be capable of breaking all currents up to its rated capacity. As it is not possible to test at all values of current, tests are performed at 10%,30%,60% and 100% of its rated breaking current.

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Test for making capacity The master circuit breaker and the making switch are closed first, then the short-circuit is initiated by dosing the circuit breaker under test. The rated making current, i.e. the peak value of the first major loop of the short-circuit current wave is measured. Duty cycle test The following duty cycle tests are performed. (i) B - 3 - B - 3 - B tests are performed at 10%, 30%, and 60% of the rated symmetrical breaking capacity. (ii) B-3 - MB - 3 - MB tests are performed (a) at not less than 100% of the rated symmetrical breaking capacity and (b) at not less than 100% of the rated making capacity. This test can also be performed as two separate tests. (a) M - 3 - M make test, (b) B-3 - B-3 - B break test. (iii) B-3 - B-3 - B tests are performed at not less than 100% of the rated asymmetrical breaking capacity. Here B denotes the breaking operation and M denotes the making operation, while MB denotes the making operation followed by the hreaking operation without any intentional time delay. Short-time current test The rated short-time current is passed through the circuit breaker under lest for a specified short duration (1 second or 3 second) nnd current is measured by taking an oscillograph of the current wave. The short-time current should not cause any mechanical or insulation damage or any contact welding. The equivalent rms short-time current is evaluated as follows. The time-interval is divided into 10 equal parts. These are marked as t0, t1, t2, ......t9,t10. The asymmetrical rms values of the current at these intervals are marked as I0, I1, I2,.....I9, I10. The equivalent TInS value of the short-time current using Simpson formula is given by I= 1 -- [I02 + 4(I12 + I32 + I52 + I72 + I92) + 2(I22 + I42 + I62 + I82 + I102) 3

4. Indirect Testing The testing of HV circuit breakers of large capacity also requires very large capacity of the testing station, which is uneconomical. It is also not practical to increase the short-circuit capacity of the testing station. Therefore, indirect methods of testing are used for the testing of large circuit hreakers. The important indirect methods of testing are: (i) Unit testing (ii) Synthetic testing Unit testing Generally, high voltage circuit breakers are designed with several arc interrupter units in series. Each unit can be tested separately. From the test results of one unit, the capacity of the complete breaker can be determined. This type of testing is known as unit testing. Synthetic testing In this method of testing, there are two sources of power supply for the testing, a
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current source and a voltage source. The current source is a high current, low voltage source. It supplies short-circuit current during the test. The voltage source is high voltage, low current source. It provides restriking and recovery voltage. There are two methods of synthetic testing-parallel current injection / method and series current injection method. Parallel current injection method is widely used as it is capable of providing RRRV and recovery voltage as required by various standards.

FIGURE 5 : Synthetic testing of circuit breaker Figure 5 shows a circuit for synthetic testing. It is a circuit for parallel current injection method of synthetic testing. The high current source is a motor driven generator. It injects a high short-circuit current I1 into the circuit breaker under test at a relatively reduced voltage, V8. The inductance L1 is to control the short-circuit current. The master circuit breaker and the circuit breaker under test are tripped before current I1 reaches its natural zero. These circuit breakers are ruily opened by the time t0. The capacitor C1 is a high voltage source to provide recovery voltage. It is charged prior to the test, to a voltage 2 Vs This voltage is equal to the peak power frequency vol tage which will appear across the contacts at the moment the circuit breaker under test interrupts the current. L2 and C2 control transient recovery voltage and RRRV. The triggered spark gap is fired at tb slightly before the short-circuit current I1 reaches its natural zero. It is done to properly simulate the pre-current zero zone during the test. There is a control circuit to fire the triggered spark gap at the appropriate moment. Figure 9.28 shows waveforms during synthetic testing.

FIGURE 6 : Waveform during synthetic testing

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